The claim that this has been the best World Cup is a bold one. But then this has been a bold World Cup. There has been some inevitable caginess in some of the knockout matches, not least the semi-final between Holland and Argentina, but the exhilarating, unpredictable football that dominated the opening weeks should not be forgotten. Look at the quality of those goals, as well, and the thrilling individual performances from an array of attacking players.

The stars have been the forward players: James Rodríguez, Neymar, Arjen Robben, Alexis Sánchez, Lionel Messi, Thomas Müller and Karim Benzema. And so many of the goals have been outstanding: Rodríguez’s stunning volley against Uruguay, Robin van Persie's unique header against Spain, Tim Cahill’s strike against Holland, Chile’s team goal against Spain. The list goes on.

There has been tactical variation and great coaching from the likes of Louis van Gaal, Joachim Löw and Chile’s remarkable firecracker Jorge Sampaoli. The underdogs, too, have barked. Not just Costa Rica but Algeria and Chile – and none of them tried to achieve success by ‘parking the bus’. Then there was the United States and Ghana and even Iran.

When else has there been a World Cup in which the holders were thrashed 5-1 in the opening match and failed to get through the group stage, as happened to Spain? When else has there been a World Cup in which a nation such as Costa Rica would top a group that included three previous winners in England, Italy and Uruguay?

And when else has there been a World Cup with the extraordinary, sad, painful, dramatic encounter that unfolded in Belo Horizonte as the hosts Brazil were eviscerated 7-1 by Germany. It was a piece of history which will resonate through the decades.

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Above all this has, gloriously, poignantly – and controversially – been a Brazilian World Cup. Yes there have been the incumbent problems of poverty and logistical chaos, but this has been an almost religious congregation of the world’s most popular sport. Brazil has made its own mark: the people, the stadiums, the atmosphere – and the games. Thirty-two nations came to the greatest show on earth and most them wanted to play a full part.

It was cheesy to label this World Cup as football returning to its spiritual home but there was truth in that. Brazil has brought the best out of the World Cup and the World Cup has brought the best out of Brazil.